tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732132352927731247.post7701529402522551639..comments2024-03-16T00:27:31.848-07:00Comments on Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma: Plague on Both Houses? Biopure vs. NatansonHoward Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00599587504924835039noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732132352927731247.post-1284264144259689892009-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:002009-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:00So, by Natanson's logic, ALL automobile manufactur...So, by Natanson's logic, ALL automobile manufacturers should be shut down because the Ford Pinto had exploding gas tanks in the 70's. Science by litigation my ass.<BR/><BR/>This is nothing more than monumental self-aggrandizement by an insecure doctor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732132352927731247.post-30589738808342724662009-02-10T12:04:00.000-08:002009-02-10T12:04:00.000-08:00Wheter one or 1/16 he should know he was a part of...Wheter one or 1/16 he should know he was a part of it and it should be stated that he has tried to "sell" his invention to solve the problem--I'd call it conflict and selective memory loss. His letter with that of Wolfe is harassment of the company since the work he relies on for his "facts" has not been validated. What he calls "toxicity" is to many a treatable 'side effect"; the MI issue has not been related to the product use after finite analysis...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732132352927731247.post-85536078299363062632009-02-04T07:20:00.000-08:002009-02-04T07:20:00.000-08:00Um, let us review the facts here. Natanson failed ...Um, let us review the facts here. Natanson failed to disclose that his name was one of 16 government employees listed on US Government Provisional Patent Application relating to hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) that was filed in August of 2007. The Provisional Application related to a method of using nitrite bound to methemoglobin to reduce the deleterious effects associated with HBOC use as blood substitutes. Although some of the preclinical work underlying this application was performed in Natanson's laboratory, that work did not involve HBOCs and Natanson did not participate in the preparation of the provisional filing. Further, when the final patent application was filed in August of 2008, Natanson's name was no longer on it (!) -- he was not deemed to have made a material contribution to the work. (Provisional applications are merely placeholders for patents and often they list many more people than actually made a significant contribution. Patent lawyers review the inventor names and independently decide which work was material to the patent before they file the final application.)<BR/><BR/>While it's true that he should have disclosed his name on the provisional application, it's absurd to argue that this represented a significant financial incentive of any kind. Natanson has argued that HBOCs should NOT be tested at all in humans until less toxic products can be developed and FULLY vetted in animal models - the only way he could have benefitted financially from the issued patent (on which his name no longer appears and which is held by the U.S. government) is if the current crop of HBOCs ARE tested and used extensively in humans.<BR/><BR/>This is a clear case of a company trying to harass a scientist out of publishing his findings - Biopure should have published a peer-reviewed article which argued convincingly and with solid data against Natanson's conclusions rather than suing him. Apparently, they were unwilling or unable to do so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732132352927731247.post-50987728690400693332008-11-24T13:16:00.000-08:002008-11-24T13:16:00.000-08:00Note that Biopure is apparently close to fading aw...Note that Biopure is apparently close to fading away. It recently laid off nearly all its employees. See: <BR/>http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/11/22/biopure_lays_off_most_of_few_remaining_employees/Roy M. Poses MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00497209843184497847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732132352927731247.post-4746824040429953342008-11-23T10:47:00.000-08:002008-11-23T10:47:00.000-08:00Howard,I think we should bear in mind that Natanso...Howard,<BR/><BR/>I think we should bear in mind that Natanson says he simply forgot to disclose that his name was on that patent application. In addition, I see nothing wrong with NIH and Natanson trying to come up with an improved and safer blood substitute. To me, the fact that he initially failed to disclose the patent does not call his research into question at all.<BR/><BR/>I think what Biopure is doing is intimidation pure and simple. Notice that they only sued Natanson, not his co-authors or the journal. All this talk about the patent is an attack-the-messinger tactic to divert attention from the real issue here: hemoglobin-based blood substitutes are dangerous and should not be used.<BR/><BR/>The tobacco industry used similar tactics for years to sow doubt about the work of scientists who were doing work on the health effects of smoking. David Michaels discusses the history of this tactic in his book Doubt is Their Product.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com